Nearly 500,000 tons of road salt are used each year on Massachusetts roadways. Runoff from these roads deposits salt in public groundwater sources, which poses human, environmental, and structural health risks. The goal of this project was to establish a framework that prioritizes opportunities to address risk-causing factors of salt contamination in groundwater drinking sources. We observed statewide trends in salt contamination, determined factors that contribute to salt contamination of groundwater, created a risk-assessment tool for use by municipalities, and drafted an informative fact sheet for public release. We also proposed recommendations to the MA Department of Environmental Protection for future work to identify and protect groundwater sources at risk of salt contamination.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Pataky, Nicholas Anthony
• Gigliotti, Nicholas Patrick
• Robbins, Zachary Reid
• Wile, Shawn Devin

Subject

• Health
• Environment
• Well-Being
• Water
• Sustainability

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-101515-125422

Keyword

• Sustainable development--Environmental aspects
• Water--Pollution
• Natural resources--Management
• Sustainability

Advisor

• Mathisen, Paul P.
• Tuler, Seth

Year

• 2015

Center

• Boston, Massachusetts Project Center - IQP

Sponsor

• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Date created

• 2015-10-15

Location

• Boston

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright